-------------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be BETTER INFORMED ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre (GDRC) Email: [email protected] ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ One suicide in State almost every day ! ------------------------------------------------------------
Suraj Nandrekar Sounds shocking but true, there is one suicide in the State every single day. According to the information available with Herald there are nearly 300 suicides recorded every year in the last five years. The year 2004 saw 309 suicide incidents, the next year the figure came down to 278 and has remained more or less steady since then - 2006 (274), 2007 (267) and 2008 (283). According to police records, the victims have ended their lives for various reasons like frustration due to sickness, mental depression, family problem, love affairs, alcohol, unemployment, property matter, financial problem, failure in exam, etc. Says Superintendent of Police Atmaram Deshpande "there is a reason behind every suicide, but it is difficult to explain or control this huge number of almost one suicide per day." He said while the youngsters often tend to end their lives over love failure, the adults take the extreme step due financial problems, family tension, alcoholism, etc. Statistics also point out that places like Ponda, Mapusa, Margao, Old Goa and Vasco - where migrant population is more - account for more suicide incidents. When asked why suicide among migrants is much higher, Deshpande said that was due to financial problems. "They come to Goa to earn money, but when they find it tough they end their lives," he said. A city based psychiatrist from Porvorim, Dr Melwyn Chagas e Silva says that "there have been couple of studies in Kerala and Bangalore on suicides and it has come to light that most of the cases are due to depression and alcoholism." For tackling the problem of suicide in Goa, Dr Melwyn said emphasis must be laid on mental health services. "For a population of 100 crore we have just 400 to 500 psychiatrists, 500 to 600 psychologists and maybe similar number of mental health workers," he said adding "but you see in the US the number of psychiatrists would be 60,000, and as many number of psychologists and mental health workers." Dr Melwyn also said that awareness needs to be created amongst every citizen on the issue. "Every person who commits suicide tells someone that he is fed up of life and wants to end it; this is the time when the person must help him and direct him to some expert," he said adding "for this we need to educate everyone." -------------------------------------- HERALD 06/4/09 page 1 -------------------------------------- ====================================== GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE 11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto:[email protected] --------------------------------------------------------- Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy ====================================== --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en Please post regularly to keep the e-village active! -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
